Disclaimer: I do not own "Mary Poppins" or its characters. They are property of PL Travers and the Walt Disney Company.
Cast:
Ben Whislaw as Michael Banks
Tom Hanks as George Banks' ghost
Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins
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"The Ghost of George Banks"
Written by Jeff Snyder (TwilightSparkle3562)
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"Did you have something to do with them trying to save the house?" Michael Banks asked Mary Poppins after his emotional breakdown.
"I never said a word. It was all the children's idea," came the reply from his childhood nanny.
"The whole time I've been looking after them, they've been looking after me. I had it all backward," Michael sighed, feeling like a complete idiot for lashing out at his childhood nanny and his own children.
"A Banks family trait," Mary Poppins remarked.
"What was I thinking?"
"Some people think a great deal too much. Of that I'm certain."
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Michael continued to remember those words as he laid in bed that night. He couldn't sleep, thinking about what had transpired that day. From his perspective, Michael thought his children were running around the bank unsupervised and nearly costing him his job. But it was all the opposite. In reality, the children were trying to warn him about his corruptive boss, Mr. Wilkins.
"She must have had something to do with it," Michael whispered to himself, his eyes locked on the bedroom ceiling. "I just know it. All this happened before and it's happening again…but why? Could it be that this house…the house I grew up in…is not important after all? Maybe, Mary Poppins is right. I've been thinking a great deal too much."
Climbing out of bed, Michael walked over to the bedroom window overlooking Cherry Tree Lane and stood staring down at the lamp litten streets. For a moment, he was alone, but not for very long as another figure stood in the bedroom.
"Yes Michael," said a voice, causing Michael to turn around and see a ghost standing before him. This made him jump in surprise. "I think you have."
Taking a moment to collect himself, Michael realized just who was standing before him. It was a ghost, all right. But no ordinary ghost. It was his father's ghost, the ghost of George Banks himself
"Father…" he gasped, startled by the ghost. "I didn't…I didn't really…"
"I'm sorry if I startled you, Michael," George said, floating towards his youngest son. "I saw what happened tonight."
A hint of embarrassment befell Michael's face upon hearing what the ghost had said to him.
"You saw…you saw everything?" Michael remarked as he sat down at the foot of his bed, feeling embarrassed and ashamed even more. "Father, I…I wish I could take back what I said to Mary Poppins and the children tonight, but I can't. Today…today brought back memories…of when I caused the run on the bank all because of the tuppence."
Sympathetically, George sighed and joined his son at the foot of his bed, sitting down next to him.
"Father, I'm scared. I don't want my children to be homeless, I don't want to be homeless. We've…we've lost enough this year. I can't keep it all together anymore."
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"I understand how you feel, Michael," George said. "Because you remember that I went through the same feelings as you. Wanting what's best for you and Jane, to give you the life of no imagination, no stuff and nonsense, as you put it sharply tonight."
Michael immediately detected the disappointment in his father's voice.
"But…that stuff and nonsense that Mary Poppins brought on this family…saved my life. It was because of her that I was able to live the life that I was supposed to live…spending more time with you and Jane, watching you grow up into charming young people, seeing my grandchildren also grow into charming young children. You might say that had it not been for her, I would have left you far too soon than I had."
This made Michael sigh further in shame of his earlier actions.
"Let me ask you something, Michael," the ghost asked. "What do you think is more important in your life right now? Is it this house? Is it your job at the bank?"
"I guess that's all irrelevant right now, isn't it?" Michael remarked, burying his face in his hands. "There's something else of great importance, is there?"
"There is, Michael," the ghost answered. "You can replace a home, you can replace a job…but, you can't replace a life and in this case…it's your life. Tonight, I saw a man who is my son crying out for help through his anger for something that isn't worth saving sometimes. You cannot right all the problems in this world around you."
The more Michael listened, the more he began to understand what was really important. It was like Mary Poppins had revealed to him that he was going about all this the wrong way.
"Because I learned one thing about Mary Poppins," the ghost concluded as Michael looked over at him. "That it's not the children she comes to save…it's their fathers and mothers."
Exhausted, Michael rubbed his face against his hands and stared up at the ceiling again. He had to understand that Mary Poppins had indeed returned…to save his life using that stuff and nonsense that she had bestowed upon his children.
"Father, what am I going to do now?"
"The important thing to understand is that your life and your own children are more important than any house or any job you have. That's what Mary Poppins taught me and that's what she is teaching you now."
"But what about…?"
Suddenly, Michael saw the ghost start to move towards the bedroom window.
"You will find out in due time, Michael," the ghost said as it left the bedroom. "For Mary Poppins sometimes works in mysterious ways that benefit all of us."
Before Michael could say another word, the ghost disappeared and Michael was left alone once more to think about what had just transpired.
Soon, he would find out just what his father meant…
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THE END
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